"Horses in the Ocean" (Russian: "Лошади в океане") is - in my humble opinion - the best poem of Boris Slutsky (Russian: Борис Слуцкий). Please, consult Wikipedia if you have no knowledge of him yet.
Surprisingly, I failed to find any English version of the poem. So I took the liberty of translating it. I treated each line separately, sacrificing meter and rhyme to fidelity of my translation. I hereby solemnly copyleft my work, hoping to induce native English speakers to convert it into a piece of poetry.
Please let me know if you want the poem sung (in Russian) or/and YouTubed. It's free.
Борис Слуцкий "Лошади в океане" (по-английски)
Boris Slutsky "Horses in the Ocean" (in English)
Лошади умеют плавать, но - не хорошо. Недалеко.
Horses can swim, but - not well. Nor far.
"Глория" - по-русски - значит "Слава". Это вам запомнится легко.
"Glory" - in Russian - means "Slava". It's easy to memorize.
Шёл корабль, своим названьем гордый, океан стараясь превозмочь.
So, a ship, being proud of that name, attempted to cross an ocean.
В трюме, добрыми мотая мордами, тыща лошадей топталась день и ночь.
In the hold, shaking [their] friendly snouts, one thousand horses were shifting [their] feet round the clock.
Тыща лошадей! Подков четыре тыщи! Счастья всё ж они не принесли.
A thousand horses! Four thousand horseshoes! But the shoes didn't help the vessel avoid the tragedy.
Мина кораблю пробила днище далеко-далёко от земли.
A naval mine made a hole in the ship's bottom [when the ship was] far-far from land.
Люди сели в лодки, в шлюпки влезли. Лошади поплыли просто так.
People got into lifeboats. The horses had to swim.
Что ж им было делать, бедным, если нету мест на лодках и плотах?
What could they, the poor [horses], do when there was no room in the boats and life rafts [for them]?
Плыл по океану рыжий остров. В море в синем остров плыл гнедой.
The chestnut isle drifted on the ocean. On the blue sea, the bay islet drifted.
И сперва казалось - плавать просто, океан казался им рекой.
In the beginning, swimming seemed easy [to the horses], they believed the ocean was a river.
Но не видно у реки той края. На исходе лошадиных сил
But the river was boundless. And, as their strength was failing them,
Вдруг заржали кони, возражая тем, кто в океане их топил.
Suddenly the horses started to neigh, [as if] objecting to the people who made them drown.
Кони шли на дно и ржали, ржали, все на дно покуда не пошли.
The horses were drowning and neighing until all of them went to the bottom.
Вот и всё... Однако, как мне жаль их - рыжих, не увидевших земли.
And that's all... However, I feel for them - for the chestnuts that failed to reach land.
